And There'll Be Fireworks
Kassey sat, as he often did, on the rough wooden decks of his strangely shaped tree-house, that looked peculiarly like a rocket. He was practising his little game, trying to make the most triangles; his father had taught him and Patrick that game. He smiled, closing his eyes and reminiscing, he missed his father. He looked back down at the game, how he loved games, they were so uncomplicated. Well once you learnt the rules at least, simple, practice makes perfect. So much less complicated than... women.
Suddenly the ground shook and he heard a loud bang, he didn't even jump, he was used to such sounds. After all, how long has Patrick been trying to be number one pyrotechnician? "Too long," his mind grumbled at him. He sighed and slid down the rope, landing on the ground with a thud.
"Patrick!" He yelled. There was no response. "PATRICK!" He shouted again.
"What was that sound?" A beautiful, angelic voice said behind him. He turned around to see Muffy, a vision of beauty with her blonde locks curling around her face like rays of sunlight and her inquisitive green eyes shining at him like glistening emeralds.
"That was my brother practising to be a half decent pyrotechnician!" He complained, turning around to see her looking towards the ground. She had a slightly sad yet thoughtful expression on her sweet face.
"You're so lucky to have your family live with you," she said softly, her jade eyes rising to meet his brown ones.
"Ha! I'm not lucky, my brother's an idiot and my parents are six feet under. I haven't got my family with me!" He scoffed.
She shook her head sadly. "I have no one. I haven't seen my parents since I became a secretary in the city... and that was a while ago. They haven't even sent me a letter! I'm completely alone."
"I... I'm sure a beautiful young girl like you'll find a husband real soon," he said bitterly with a hint of jealousy in his voice. He wished he could be one of those guys, just to be close to her and to be there for her would be a dream to him. It was sick and he knew it, he had to be at least twenty years older than her, but age didn't matter right? Only their love mattered. Or it would, if they had any.
She looked sadder at that, her pretty features tensing with sadness. "No, none of my relationships work out. No guy really cares."
"I'd care," he told her before he could stop himself. She smiled softly, looking slightly sheepish.
"Thanks, well, goodbye." She told him before heading off. He sighed, if only she felt a smidgen of what he felt for her, he'd be the happiest man alive.
Later that evening he held his firework in his hand, the one he'd been working to create for months. He'd had her in mind all the while; he just hoped she'd like it. More than that, he hoped it would work. What if it came out wrong? He couldn't think of that, otherwise he could not bring himself to light the fuse. It was a good job the pyromaniac in him took over. He struck the match hard against the box, the small spark shining in the air like a shooting star... and like Muffy's eyes when she smiled. The small flame glowed at the end, shining its warmth into the silky ebony of the sky, that delicious burning smell reaching his nostrils. He placed it to the fuse and ran as the heat and kinetic energy rushed along the fuse. He just hoped she'd watch it.
There was a high squealing sound and then a bang as the rocket shot upwards and splayed its colour all across the sky like a fountain of rainbow fire. Then in elegant golden dots, shining like stars in the sky it spelled out.
"I love you Muffy."
He watched his masterpiece in the air, it had gone off without a hitch. He watched with a nervous smile as Muffy came running out towards him and threw her arms around him.
"Oh you didn't have to tell me you loved me just to make me feel better! I love you too, just like I love all the people here! You are my family! You're like a father to me." She smiled as he stopped himself from crying with pain. He made an incoherent sound as she ran off giggling.
"Yeah... family." He whispered. He swallowed hard, fixing an angry frown on his face instead of tears. He looked up at the remaining dust from his fireworks, staining the sky like spilt coffee on a dark canvas. He wiped the twinkling tears from his eyes and looked determinedly up at the full moon. One day he'd tell her how he truly felt and when he did, there'd be fireworks.